Back in the Saddle
by kaisalune
Summary: Katy and Flicka have both recovered after the mountain lion accident and are ready to ride again. But Katy's problems are far from over...
1. Chapter 1

The recovery progress had been a long one. Katy McLaughlin had been desperate to ride Flicka ever since her father had shown the beautiful mustang to her after she had become well enough to venture outside. Katy found it difficult to describe the immense feeling of love for the horse – her brother Howard didn't really understand the bond Katy and Flicka shared. He had said himself that horses were all the same – all had four legs, the food went in one end and out the other.

Katy missed Howard terribly. He had gone off to college and from the moment Howard had told her of the scholarship, Katy feared her brother would never come back to the ranch. Her father pretended not to mind that Howard was gone, but Katy could see that he missed his son too. Her mother just tried to stay busy. Katy finally knew the effect she had on her parents when she went off to boarding school. She didn't really understand their logic – if they disliked her absence and she hated the school, what was the point of paying those outrageous fees when it made them all unhappy? Why not send her to the local school in Wyoming? She supposed she would now, now that Howard was gone and the ranch was hers. The fact excited her – she would one day be in charge of Goose Ridge Ranch.

Now, finally, Katy and Flicka were both ready to ride again, to be free. Katy woke up that particular morning with a thrill through her veins. It was only 6 am. Katy was eager to go out and ride immediately, but her father had made her promise that she would not go out by herself. The condition was that he rode with Katy and Flicka to make sure they were both okay.

Katy got dressed slowly, trying to drag the action out so it wouldn't be so long to wait before she could go riding. It was stupid logic, but Katy was content in believing in it. She went downstairs and paused at her favourite painting hanging on the wall at the landing. How many times had she stopped to look at this piece of canvas? Too many to count.

"About time you go up."

Katy gasped and turned. "Daddy. You scared me," she said.

He laughed. "Hon, I knew you'd be up early so I thought I'd beatcha to it. Ready to ride?"

Katy nodded eagerly. "Yeah."

She ran to her father and put an arm around him, hugging him. It wasn't often that she made this gesture, but the joy she felt at the thought of riding Flicka again made her be impulsive.

He laughed again and hugged her back. "C'mon – I ain't tacking up for you."

Katy was glad. Her father wasn't being her father if he did everything for her. He liked his kids to work for themselves, and Katy valued that in her father.

Jack and Gus were already in the stables when Katy and Rob arrived.

"Hard at work fellers?" said Rob, smiling.

"You know it boss," said Jack, tipping his hat. "Well, I am. Gus just got up."

"Yeah, sure," said Gus.

Katy had a new respect for Gus ever since he had given her the idea to name her wild mustang Flicka. Flicka had been a name that Gus had used for Katy once, but it had been given to her horse now. It meant 'pretty, young girl', and the name gave off an essence of freedom.

"Enough talking!" Katy said. "I want to go runnin'!"

The phrase gave Katy an intense feeling of déjà vu. The morning after she had arrived home from boarding school she had said something along those lines. "Who wants to go runnin'?" Now she didn't have to ask. She had Flicka.

"Right, right. Better not keep Katy waiting, boss," said Jack. "You know how she gets."

"Oh, funny Jack," said Katy, rolling her eyes. He was always the joker. "_C'mon_!"

Rob shrugged and followed Katy down the aisle of stalls.

"Alright Katy, I'm gonna tack up Yankee. You go get Flicka."

Katy went to the stall that her father had generously donated for her horse, but Flicka was not there.

Gus was walking down the aisle with a bridle. "Flicka's in the paddock by the corral."

Katy went into the tack shed and got her saddle and bridle before heading out. The corral brought back many memories. It had been Flicka's home for so long, when her father had forbidden her to ride the beautiful black mustang.

Katy saw Flicka grazing in the middle of the paddock. Her heartbeat accelerated at the thought of riding that beauty again.

"Flicka!" she called.

The horse's head came up as she scanned the fence line for Katy. When she spotted her mistress she whinnied loud and clear, pawed the ground once and then took off at a light canter. Katy climbed over the fence and put her arms around her horse, breathing in Flicka's strong horse scent. Katy ran her hand over Flicka's neck and withers, feeling the slight bumps of the scars there. She was healed. Katy tried to keep the memory of that night out of her head but it was difficult at times. Flicka had thrown Katy off, trying to keep her away from danger. Katy had been astounded – she had believed Flicka trusted her completely by that moment. But then the mountain lion had fell onto Flicka from a tree and the sharp screams of her horse echoed through the mountains. Katy had desperately thrown rocks at the lion before it ran off, but the damage had been done.

Katy had feared Flicka's life was at an end – her father had gone out to shoot her, or so she had thought.

Katy saddled and bridled Flicka, running her hands over the mustang's sturdy legs. Then she led Flicka over to the stables where her father was waiting.

"All set?" said Rob, who was already mounted on Yankee.

"You bet," said Katy. She swung up into the saddle and felt at home for the first time in weeks. This was where she truly belonged.


	2. Chapter 2

To feel Flicka sail out beneath her again made Katy's heart soar. As they increased their speed Katy tilted her head back, feeling the warm sun on her face and neck. She heard Rob riding beside her laugh at his daughter's immense happiness.

They reached the spot where their quarter horses were grazing, the exact spot where Flicka had run in and scattered them so long before. Katy thought of the fences that had recently begun construction, the ones that would separate the purebred quarter horses with the mustangs they intended to rescue. It had been Rob's idea to add Mustang Rescue to their business, though he had been very clear that it could not happen until they had built the fences.

"They're lookin' good Daddy," said Katy, her eyes sweeping over the strong, muscular horses.

"Don't I know it," said Rob, winking at Katy. "You two look well."

Katy knew they did. They had both recovered and were as strong as ever. Now, able to ride her tamed mustang once more, Katy felt free after the months of being house-bound.

They headed back to the ranch. Though the ride had been short, Katy felt exhilarated, as if her life had meaning again. Rob told her that, since everything had gone well, Katy could take Flicka out by herself any time.

But being a rancher wasn't all fun and games and, seeing as this was Katy's 'first day back', she was expected to work. There was more to do now that Howard was gone, but the others took no notice, used to the extra work load from when Katy wasn't there.

After a morning of mucking out stalls, Katy was covered in dirt and hay, but she was still on a high from the morning's ride. She had been working extra fast so she could go for another ride in the afternoon and so far she was making good time.

When Katy got to the house for lunch there was an unfamiliar car in the front yard. It looked expensive, but Katy didn't know what type of car it was. She didn't pay much attention to things with engines.

She went inside and sitting at the table were Miranda and Rick Koop.

"Hey!" said Katy, sliding into a chair opposite Miranda.

Miranda smiled. "Heard you took Flicka out this morning."

"It was great," said Katy. "Is that your car in the front?"

Rick nodded animatedly. "Yeah, it's pretty sleek isn't it?" He began to talk about the engines and the features and Katy tuned out. It was no secret that the Koop's had money. But to buy a car when you could buy more horses, well, what was the point?

Rob seemed to be ignoring Rick too, buttering a piece of bread and rolling his eyes as he rambled. Katy's mother Nell was nodding every now and then but anyone could see she wasn't interested. Except Rick.

"Dad," said Miranda. "I don't think they want to hear every little detail about the car."

Rick chuckled, shaking his head as if Miranda knew no idea. "Alright, alright. So, how are you going with the Mustang Rescue?"

"Still setting up, Rick," said Rob. "Should be a good investment though. All you have to do is look at Flicka to see how successful it could be."

"I've been thinking about setting somethin' like that up myself," said Rick.

Rob stared at him. "You're kiddin'."

Rick shook his head. "No, I'm not. Like you said, it's a good investment."

"Dad, how come you never told me this?" said Miranda, her eyes wide. "You can't, you'll run the McLaughlin's out of business!"

"I have no intention of doing that," said Rick.

"You've got more money than us, you'll get yours up and runnin' before us!" said Rob.

"Everyone will identify yours as the first," said Nell. "We'll just be followers."

Rick shrugged. "Can I help it if we've got money?"

"Dad, don't!" said Miranda.

"You can't just expect to march in here, telling us something like this and eat our food!"

"Face it – we'll be more successful. But you still got the quarter horses, right?" said Rick.

"You bastard!" said Katy, standing up, her chair screeching.

"Katy!" said Nell.

"You can't do this to Katy, after everything she's been through," said Rob.

"I can't help it if your little girl got sick," said Rick.

"Get outta my house," said Rob, pointing at the door.

Rick rose and shrugged. "Alright. C'mon Miranda."

He went out. Miranda stood and looked around at the silent table. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'll try and talk him out of it." She left.

Katy was still standing, staring at the untouched lunch. Jack and Gus came in, the back door banging.

"Hey," said Jack. "What'd we miss?"


	3. Chapter 3

Katy was the next to stand, shoving her chair back so it made a loud screeching sound on the floor. Jack and Gus watched wide-eyed, wondering what little drama they had stumbled upon this time. Whenever Katy was around there was always something the spirited girl was being passionate about.

"Katy," said Rob, not rising from his spot. "Calm down. It'll be alright."

"Did you not hear him?" shouted Katy. "He's gonna ruin everything!"

Everything she and Flicka had worked for, everything Rob was now working for, all in vain. Because this man, this family Katy's considered as friends, were crushing their dreams. The walls Katy had built for herself were crashing down.

It was times like these Katy wished more than anything that she had her brother around. Howard would be optimistic, even if there wasn't an immediate solution at hand. He would make her feel better about what seemed like a dire situation.

Nell sighed and stood too, putting a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder, but Katy shook it off. "I'm going for a ride."

"Not too far Katy!" called Rob, but she was already out the door.

It was times like these when Katy needed to be alone, to clear her head. And riding was the best way to do that. She bridled Flicka and got up, not worrying about a saddle. She'd ridden thousands of time bareback, anyway. It was better than a saddle – she liked feeling the horse directly beneath her, the way she moved and sailed out beneath her when they galloped together, one person. There were times when Katy wasn't aware of where she ended and Flicka began. That's what she needed now.

She was galloping before she reached the wide open fields. She had a feeling of recklessness stirring deep down, which she knew was dangerous and could get her into a lot of trouble. But she didn't often listen to her brain – she was a heart girl through and through.

She galloped into the space she and her father had visited that very morning, where the quarter horses were grazing. Katy had the urge to scatter them, which she did. She doubted it would have much effect, seeing as fences were underway and the horses couldn't go anywhere, but she was wrong.

A few of the horses tore away from the main herd and galloped, frightened, towards the fence construction. It was planned to be a sturdy fence, created for this sort of thing, but it wasn't ready yet. Katy could already see what was going to happen before it happened. The horses crashed through the weaker section, causing bits of wood and other materials to go flying. The quarter horses were still frightened of Flicka, still didn't accept her as one of their own.

Katy was unsure of what to do. She began to panic. She couldn't ride after them because they would just continue to run because of Flicka. She had to ride home, get her father to help. She hated that. Katy believed she was capable of doing anything herself. Those months when she had been sick were the worst, because she was so completely helpless.

She decided to chase them. Stupid, perhaps, but she could maybe herd them back into the fence boundaries without her father ever knowing. Of course there was the matter of the fence, but Katy could only deal with one thing at a time.

The rest of the herd had followed the few that had crashed through the fence, and now they were galloping further towards the cliff that Flicka had once almost gone down. It wasn't dangerously close though, so Katy took chase. She went around the side and put pressure on the herd, getting closer until some of the horses gave shrieks and began turning. Katy smiled almost triumphantly – you just had to get a few to turn and the rest would follow.

It took a while to get them back to where they were supposed to be, but finally they were there. Katy stopped by the fence, dismounted and got a piece of twine out of her jeans pocket, tying Flicka to the part of the fence that was still remaining. It was safer than just tethering Flicka with her reins because then if Flicka spooked, the twine would snap and she'd be free to bolt. If it were the reins, though, Flicka could do herself a serious injury.

Katy inspected the fence. A whole section needed to be reworked, most certainly by her because no way was she inviting her father to inspect this thing. He'd never let her out riding alone again.

Katy mounted up again, leaving the twine on the fence for later, and galloped Flicka towards the ranch. She took a different route back, not wanting to draw attention to herself. She planned to slip in, get fence supplies and slip back out so nobody would ever learn of her return and think she had just gone for a long, peaceful ride.

Yet the different route consisted of the trees, bushes and shrubs where she'd almost been attacked by the mountain lion that one time, until Flicka had saved her. And Katy had a difficult time navigating quickly through it. Then a tree was directly in front of her, and Katy didn't have time to react with Flicka. The horse swerved around it but Katy didn't, and she came off, flying a few meters before hitting the ground and rolling, only stopping when she hit another tree to her left. She lay there for a few moments, assessing the damage. She was conscious, which was a plus. Her entire body ached but it didn't feel like anything was broken. She slowly sat up. The world spun a little before coming back into focus. But she ruled out concussion. She stretched out both arms, exercising her wrists. There was a sharp pain in her right one, but nothing she couldn't handle. She did the same with her legs, and discovered she had a very painful ankle sprain. As she stood, using the tree for support, she could barely put weight on her right foot. That was going to be hard to hide from her parents. She tried walking. She could disguise it if she could put up with the shooting pains. Besides, she'd had much worse.

Flicka was grazing a few meters away, having stopped when she felt she no longer had a rider on her back. Now she looked to Katy as if asking her why she was taking so long.

"I'm comin'," Katy muttered, limping over. She mounted by using a tree stump as a mounting block and managed to ride back without too much hassle, seeing as there were no stirrups to cause her any discomfort. She tethered Flicka behind the stables and crept in to the supply shed, though she made quite a bit of noise because her bad foot kept scuffing. How much wood would she need? How was she going to carry it? Katy supposed this was why most people thought things through before they did them. Maybe she should learn from those people.

"Whatcha doin'?"

Katy almost screamed, but instead just gasped and turned as fast a lightning bolt to see Gus in the doorway. "Gus! You scared me."

"Sorry," he apologized. "But what are you doin'?"

Katy considered lying, but thought better of it. "I broke part of the new fence."

Gus chuckled. "Course you did."

He pushed past Katy and began gathering up tools and materials.

"What're you doin'?" said Katy, watching him.

"What does it look like? Helpin' you." He walked past with wood. "I'll put it in the truck."

Katy was touched by his readiness to help her, and decided not to argue against it because thinking about it, she really did need his help. She told him where the fence was and that she would meet him out there, then mounted Flicka and set off.

Gus arrived shortly after Katy did, and she went to help him unload the truck. But he noticed her limping. "You come off, did you?"

"Yeah," admitted Katy sheepishly.

"Go sit down, I'll carry it over," Gus said. Katy went, because her ankle really was hurting. She didn't want to take off her boot and examine it though, because it would probably swell so she couldn't get the shoe back on. She'd probably have to sleep in it if she wanted to keep the injury from her parents. Oh well. It wouldn't be the first time.

Once Gus had everything by the fence, he set to work, and Katy went to help him. They had barely picked up a thing when galloping hoof beats were heard. They turned at the same time and saw Rob and Jack.

"Aw, damn," said Gus, standing up.

Katy just sat on the grass. Her father stopped and dismounted. Jack stayed on his horse. "What the hell is goin' on here?" said Rob, looking directly to Katy for answers.

"I'm sorry Daddy, it's my fault."

"I know it's your fault," said Rob. "How'd this happen?"

"The horses spooked," said Katy.

"Why?"

"Because I scattered them."

Jack let out a short laugh but was silenced by Katy's death stare. She didn't appreciate being made fun of, especially by Jack.

But Rob didn't yell. He just sighed. "Katy, I know what Miranda's dad said upset you. But we'll deal with it. We've got Miranda on our side."

"It won't make much difference," said Katy.

Rob sat down next to Katy in the grass, something he rarely did. He looked odd, sitting cross-legged next to his teenage daughter by a broken fence. "We'll convince him to stop."

"Dad, that's never gonna happen," said Katy, a smile on her lips. "You, me and mom always get way too fired up."

Rob laughed, but said: "That's why I called Howard. He's got a break. Don't know what the hell for but he can come back. He'll negotiate. After all, he and Miranda were pretty hot 'n' heavy for a while!"

"Dad, don't say that," said Katy. But she was overjoyed. "So… Howard's coming back?"

"Yup. He'll be here by tomorrow night." He stood up and grabbed Yankee's reins. "You're welcome."

_Howard was coming home!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everybody! I'm really sorry I haven't updated in, well, forever. It usually happens - I lose interest in a story and then pick it up again. Don't expect regular chapters because I'm deeply unreliable with that, haha. But I hope I can update every so often. This chapter is mostly about Katy and Howard which I know a lot of you like :) And I've started writing some stuff on FictionPress so check it out.**

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"Where the hell's my little sister?" called Howard through the throngs of people standing around in the airport. He pushed through the crowd and spotted Katy and Rob, standing by the side. He chuckled to see them so separated from the other people. They were two of the same, both liking their space and their freedom, with no tolerance of the city life.

Katy, who had heard Howard's shout, saw him and squealed, running forward. She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and giggling hysterically. "Jeez, what has my being gone done to ya?" said Howard, who had dropped his carry-on bags to hold on to Katy. The truth was, he would be giggling hysterically too if his sister hadn't just knocked the wind out of him.

Rob was slower to come forward, as was his style. He smiled at his son and whacked him on the back before bending forward to pick up the bags. "Baggage claim?"

"Not yet!" said Katy. She gave her brother a final squeeze before letting go. "I missed you!" she said as Howard slung an arm around her shoulders. She looked him up and down, trying to see any injuries he didn't previously have. All she noticed, however, was his clothing. "What are you wearin'?"

Howard looked down at his clothes. "It's what normal people wear!" he said defensively. "Just coz you ranchers are living in the stone ages of fashion."

"Since when have you cared about fashion?" said Rob, a smile on his face. Despite his uneasiness to share feelings regularly, it was evident he was overjoyed to have his son back.

"It's just what people wear," said Howard. "I'm sure I'll get used to my country kicks again in no time."

"Kicks? What are kicks?" said Katy.

"Shoes," said Howard. "You know, kicks?" At her bewildered glance he sighed. "Okay, I don't know why they're called kicks. Maybe coz you kick with them? Shut up Katy," he added, because she was laughing at him.

They collected his bags and headed out to the truck. Katy took the back seat, something she wasn't quite used to since Howard had left. She sighed and leaned back. Despite everything that was happening with Rick and Miranda, she was surprisingly content having Howard back. Her brother had that air about him – he was calming. It was like he could solve any problem.

"So how's college?" asked Rob as they left the airport car park. "Jesus, it's a madhouse in there," he added, glancing back in the rearview mirror.

"College is good. Good classes, interesting people. Hard sometimes," said Howard.

"Ah well, you need a bit of a challenge now that you've left the tough old ranch," said Rob jokingly.

"Hey Howard," said Katy, feeling somewhat left out sitting up the back. "I know somebody who can't wait to see you."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"I hope you're kiddin'. Who do you think? _Miranda_."

Howard seemed to tense a little bit. Only Katy noticed – Rob was watching the road. "Uh, does she still… come around a lot?"

"Yeah, why? Miranda's cool, we've been hanging out," said Katy, watching Howard closely. What was going one? Before Howard had left he'd been head over heels in love with Miranda, and now he was acting all uncomfortable about her. It was odd.

"You'll have to be the messenger," said Rob, grimacing. "I doubt Rick will come by too often now that it's all out in the open. But I think he likes you. Miranda certainly does."

"It's an excuse to spend more time with your _giiiirlfriieeend_," Katy said in a high-pitched, lovesick tone.

Howard shifted and cleared his throat, something Katy knew Howard did when he was nervous or anxious or uncomfortable.

The long drive home was spent chatting about easier subjects. It was dark by the time they reached the ranch. Nell was pacing on the porch and ran down the steps when the truck came to a halt. She grabbed Howard as he got out of the car and started kissing him all over his head. "Baby, I missed you so much!"

"Of course you did, it's me," said Howard, giving Katy a wink.

They went inside, Rob lugging the bags. Jack and Gus greeted Howard from their positions on the couch in front of the television, too exhausted from the day's work to get up.

"Dinner'll be ready in about fifteen," said Nell. "You can put your bags up first."

Howard took over from Rob and dragged his bags upstairs. Katy followed like a puppy dog, eager to spend time with her brother after so long apart.

"So how's Flicka?" he asked her once they'd gotten to his room. He collapsed onto the bed, spread-eagle.

"Wonderful. Beautiful," said Katy, sighing and sinking into the armchair in the corner. "You should see us together."

"I have." Howard sat up and ran a hand through his hair. "I noticed something downstairs."

Katy looked at him. "What?"

"Did you see Jack?"

"Jack?"

"Yeah, Jack. You know, tall, dark hair, the kind of swoon-worthy good looks the city girls would kill for. That Jack."

Katy watched him apprehensively. "Yeah I saw him. Why?"

"Did you see him see you?" Howard asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Okay, what is this? Either tell me what you're getting at or don't," said Katy, impatient as always.

"I think he likes you."

Katy snorted. "Right! Jack likes me. Uh huh. Next thing you'll say Gus likes me." Then, thinking back to when Gus had called Katy a "flicka", a young, pretty girl, Katy put up a hand to stop Howard from saying it – his mouth was already open to form the words. "Don't go there!"

Howard rolled his eyes and lay back down on the bed. "I'm just sayin'. He was looking at you differently. I'd say you're too blind to notice. And Gus may have thought you were pretty but it wasn't like that. He's too old for you anyway."

"Oh, and Jack isn't?" said Katy.

"Jack's younger than Gus," said Howard.

Katy sighed. "Shut up Howard. And anyway, speaking of love! What's with you? You tensed up when I mentioned Miranda in the car."

Howard shot up. "I did not!"

"Yeah, you did." Katy watched him squirm under the pressure of her gaze. "Well?"

Howard sighed and looked to his hands. "So I might have started seeing a girl in the city."

"_What!_"

"Hey, don't shout!" said Howard. "And don't judge."

"I wasn't judgin'."

"I can hear you in your mind," said Howard. "What's the problem?"

Katy leaned forward, counting on her fingers. "Well let's see. You two are perfect together, you both think the same way, you're both from the same background. I mean, you _get _each other. You both totally love each other."

Howard frowned at Katy. "You seem to know a lot about a relationship that isn't even yours."

"I thought you were gonna give long distance a try!" said Katy.

"It's hard Katy. I'm so busy, she's so busy. It's hard to get a chance to web chat or IM or email. Beth, she was just there."

"Beth? Her names Beth? Uh, I bet she's a total slutty city girl," said Katy. She felt betrayed, not that she really understood why. It wasn't like Howard's relationships were any of her business. She supposed it was because Howard had never told her on the phone or online. He had _never _mentioned anybody called Beth. Sure, he'd mentioned his "wild" friend Colin and the gay guy Artie who had hit on him (Katy had laughed about it for a long time), but never Beth. Not even a friend Beth, and now there was a girlfriend Beth.

"Hey, don't," said Howard.

"Have you told Miranda? Because last time I saw her it didn't seem like she had the slightest clue," said Katy.

"Uh, no…" said Howard.

"Howard! That's basically cheating."

"It's not cheating! Miranda and I have barely spoken since I went away. I'd hardly call that a relationship."

Katy glared at him and stood. "I'm going to go see if dinner's ready."

Howard sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand. "Katy, come on. What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" She stomped downstairs.

But deep down she knew what was wrong. It wasn't like Katy made friends so easily. She was a headstrong girl and most people couldn't handle her spirit or her tough determination. But thanks to Howard's relationship, Miranda had become quite a close friend to Katy. What happened if or when Howard and Miranda broke up? Miranda would probably never come around to the ranch again. She would probably blame all of the McLaughlin's for the break up, even Katy. Or she wouldn't, but it would be too difficult to come to Howard's home, despite Howard never being there.

Katy hated to admit she was like any other teenager, but the truth was she was. She needed social stimulation as much as the next person. Not that she'd ever admit that to Howard.

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**I hope you liked it. More soon hopefully. Like I said, I'm not exactly reliable. Plus I just entered Year Eleven and the homework load is unbelievable. Comments accepted :)**


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